Fontaine is new WSF chief

Jacques Fontaine was elected the new president of the World Squash Federation (WSF) during its annual general body meeting here on Wednesday.

The Frenchman will succeed N. Ramachandran, who had completed his second and final four-year term.

Fontaine becomes the Federation’s ninth president since WSF’s inception in 1967 — the first Frenchman and third European — and was elected by delegates representing 59 national federations attending the 46th AGM.

“The Olympic agenda remains a priority, along with increasing the profile of our sport worldwide and supporting grassroots development,” said the new president. “Collaboration of all member nations is a must. The WSF needs to establish a defined agreement with the professional section of our discipline, the PSA.”

The outgoing president is known for his efforts to secure a place for squash in the Olympic Games 2020 programme — a bid which ultimately failed.

“I want to say what an honour I feel in my heart to have had the opportunity to serve our member nations and the sport for the last eight years as the president,” said Ramachandran, who became the WSF president in 2008. — Sports Bureau